FTFA "Today the majority of the Ukrainian armed forces deployed in Crimea passed to the side of the authorities of the Crimean autonomous region. The transition was absolutely peaceful, without a single shot fired either by the military or by the forces of self-defense," a source told RIA Novosti news agency.

Well, that might make Russia think twice, at least for a minute...assuming that a peaceful transition means the forces are still at least somewhat functional. They could still crush them, but the cost might not be considered worth it anymore.

RogermcAllen:FTA:"I, Berezovsky Denis, swear allegiance to the Crimean people and pledge to protect it, as required by the [army] regulations. I swear to take orders of Crimea and Sevastopol's Supreme Commander,"

I'm glad the US army doesn't have you swear allegiance to your hometown. All of the gang bangers and poors would defect and declare the sovereignty of Detriot.

Emposter:FTFA "Today the majority of the Ukrainian armed forces deployed in Crimea passed to the side of the authorities of the Crimean autonomous region. The transition was absolutely peaceful, without a single shot fired either by the military or by the forces of self-defense," a source told RIA Novosti news agency.

Well, that might make Russia think twice, at least for a minute...assuming that a peaceful transition means the forces are still at least somewhat functional. They could still crush them, but the cost might not be considered worth it anymore.

No it won't. They're on Russia's side now.

Also:

Rhino_man:HotWingAgenda: RT is run by the Kremlin, so I'll wait for independent confirmation on this.

RogermcAllen:FTA:"I, Berezovsky Denis, swear allegiance to the Crimean people and pledge to protect it, as required by the [army] regulations. I swear to take orders of Crimea and Sevastopol's Supreme Commander,"

I'm glad the US army doesn't have you swear allegiance to your hometown. All of the gang bangers and poors would defect and declare the sovereignty of Detriot.

A Russian media report on Saturday also claimed that Ukraine's Navy flagship, the Hetman Sahaidachny frigate has refused to follow orders from Kiev, came over to Russia's side and was returning home from the Gulf of Aden flying the Russian naval flag.

... which is being disputed by non-Russian media (cannot specify which, WSJ paywall)

If Ukraine is smart, they'll give every citizen a sniper rifle and tell them to start plinking away. If helicopter gunships come in, they'll hand out hand-held anti-aircraft missile launchers to every citizen. What Ukraine doesn't want to do is try to fight the Russians with conventional weapons. Just wear them down. Oh and IEDs.

Saw a newspaper thread blaming Obama for the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008, several months before he took office. There's no part of this that isn't a clusterfark, so Crimea declaring independence seems reasonable.

thetrenchcoat:HotWingAgenda: RT is run by the Kremlin, so I'll wait for independent confirmation on this.

From the BBC: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26410431#TWEET1059881

OK. So, a comparative analysis of the objective international report and the state-run Russian news shows that one jackass declared his allegiance to another nation, was fired and is facing charges, and has no authority over any vessel bigger than the rubber ducky in his bathtub.

TheShavingofOccam123:If Ukraine is smart, they'll give every citizen a sniper rifle and tell them to start plinking away. If helicopter gunships come in, they'll hand out hand-held anti-aircraft missile launchers to every citizen. What Ukraine doesn't want to do is try to fight the Russians with conventional weapons. Just wear them down. Oh and IEDs.

Ukraine transferred all of their nuclear weapons to Russia in 1996. If they'd been sensible, they'd have hung on to a couple.

Putin will do what he wants. He baited, then humiliated Obama during the Syrian crisis. Obama was baited into going all in - only to find out he had no international support whatsoever. The rest of the world, led by Putin, just laughed their ass off. An embarrassment for Obama, humiliating for our position in the world. Obama will sit this one out.

WhoopAssWayne:Putin will do what he wants. He baited, then humiliated Obama during the Syrian crisis. Obama was baited into going all in - only to find out he had no international support whatsoever. The rest of the world, led by Putin, just laughed their ass off. An embarrassment for Obama, humiliating for our position in the world. Obama will sit this one out.

WhoopAssWayne:Putin will do what he wants. He baited, then humiliated Obama during the Syrian crisis. Obama was baited into going all in - only to find out he had no international support whatsoever. The rest of the world, led by Putin, just laughed their ass off. An embarrassment for Obama, humiliating for our position in the world. Obama will sit this one out.

TheShavingofOccam123:If Ukraine is smart, they'll give every citizen a sniper rifle and tell them to start plinking away. If helicopter gunships come in, they'll hand out hand-held anti-aircraft missile launchers to every citizen. What Ukraine doesn't want to do is try to fight the Russians with conventional weapons. Just wear them down. Oh and IEDs.

Cagey B:TheShavingofOccam123: If Ukraine is smart, they'll give every citizen a sniper rifle and tell them to start plinking away. If helicopter gunships come in, they'll hand out hand-held anti-aircraft missile launchers to every citizen. What Ukraine doesn't want to do is try to fight the Russians with conventional weapons. Just wear them down. Oh and IEDs.

Well, that's certainly worked out well for the Chechens.

Yeah, about that. Ukraine is second only to the US in production of amazingly accurate anti aircraft systems. Hell, even Russia buys them. The Chechens, not so much.

WhoopAssWayne:ongbok: That is an interesting alternate reality you live in.

That Obama pushed for a Syrian war, over and over, and the world and country stood up and shouted that dumbass down? That is the world *we* live in.

"The President would be better off focusing clearly on the one thing that is in our national security interests: securing Syria's large stockpile of chemical weapons," Sen. Cruz said. "We know Assad has used these weapons, and there is good reason to suspect the al Qaida-affiliated rebels would use them as well if they could get their hands on them. This poses an intolerable threat not only to our friends in the region, but also to the United States. We need to be developing a clear, practical plan to go in, locate the weapons, secure or destroy them, and then get out. The United States should be firmly in the lead to make sure the job is done right."Ted Cruz June 20, 2013

"This is not a world we should accept. This is what's at stake. And that is why, after careful deliberation, I determined that it is in the national security interests of the United States to respond to the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons through a targeted military strike. The purpose of this strike would be to deter Assad from using chemical weapons, to degrade his regime's ability to use them, and to make clear to the world that we will not tolerate their use."President Obama September 10, 2013

"Obama is too willing to use U.S. military might in defense of international norms in Syria in a way that is not in the interest of protecting our national security,"Ted Cruz September 11 2013

rohar:WhoopAssWayne: ongbok: That is an interesting alternate reality you live in.

That Obama pushed for a Syrian war, over and over, and the world and country stood up and shouted that dumbass down? That is the world *we* live in.

"The President would be better off focusing clearly on the one thing that is in our national security interests: securing Syria's large stockpile of chemical weapons," Sen. Cruz said. "We know Assad has used these weapons, and there is good reason to suspect the al Qaida-affiliated rebels would use them as well if they could get their hands on them. This poses an intolerable threat not only to our friends in the region, but also to the United States. We need to be developing a clear, practical plan to go in, locate the weapons, secure or destroy them, and then get out. The United States should be firmly in the lead to make sure the job is done right."Ted Cruz June 20, 2013

"This is not a world we should accept. This is what's at stake. And that is why, after careful deliberation, I determined that it is in the national security interests of the United States to respond to the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons through a targeted military strike. The purpose of this strike would be to deter Assad from using chemical weapons, to degrade his regime's ability to use them, and to make clear to the world that we will not tolerate their use."President Obama September 10, 2013

"Obama is too willing to use U.S. military might in defense of international norms in Syria in a way that is not in the interest of protecting our national security,"Ted Cruz September 11 2013

ongbok:WhoopAssWayne: Putin will do what he wants. He baited, then humiliated Obama during the Syrian crisis. Obama was baited into going all in - only to find out he had no international support whatsoever. The rest of the world, led by Putin, just laughed their ass off. An embarrassment for Obama, humiliating for our position in the world. Obama will sit this one out.

That is an interesting alternate reality you live in.

While I don't think we were humiliated by Syria, (and I *DO* think we should sorta sit this out militarily, our best weapon here is economically), I will say I *WAS* farking pissed at the international community during that bullshiat.

Instead of going alone, for once, America goes "Holy crap, they are using chemical weapons on civilians. This is horrendous and cannot be allowed. We should do something."

Felgraf:ongbok: WhoopAssWayne: Putin will do what he wants. He baited, then humiliated Obama during the Syrian crisis. Obama was baited into going all in - only to find out he had no international support whatsoever. The rest of the world, led by Putin, just laughed their ass off. An embarrassment for Obama, humiliating for our position in the world. Obama will sit this one out.

That is an interesting alternate reality you live in.

While I don't think we were humiliated by Syria, (and I *DO* think we should sorta sit this out militarily, our best weapon here is economically), I will say I *WAS* farking pissed at the international community during that bullshiat.

Instead of going alone, for once, America goes "Holy crap, they are using chemical weapons on civilians. This is horrendous and cannot be allowed. We should do something."

Rhino_man:rohar: WhoopAssWayne: ongbok: That is an interesting alternate reality you live in.

That Obama pushed for a Syrian war, over and over, and the world and country stood up and shouted that dumbass down? That is the world *we* live in.

"The President would be better off focusing clearly on the one thing that is in our national security interests: securing Syria's large stockpile of chemical weapons," Sen. Cruz said. "We know Assad has used these weapons, and there is good reason to suspect the al Qaida-affiliated rebels would use them as well if they could get their hands on them. This poses an intolerable threat not only to our friends in the region, but also to the United States. We need to be developing a clear, practical plan to go in, locate the weapons, secure or destroy them, and then get out. The United States should be firmly in the lead to make sure the job is done right."Ted Cruz June 20, 2013

"This is not a world we should accept. This is what's at stake. And that is why, after careful deliberation, I determined that it is in the national security interests of the United States to respond to the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons through a targeted military strike. The purpose of this strike would be to deter Assad from using chemical weapons, to degrade his regime's ability to use them, and to make clear to the world that we will not tolerate their use."President Obama September 10, 2013

"Obama is too willing to use U.S. military might in defense of international norms in Syria in a way that is not in the interest of protecting our national security,"Ted Cruz September 11 2013

You see the problem here?

You might wanna tie down any goalposts you have lying around.

I'm often entertained by inanimate objects becoming animate. Sorry dude, I gotta see what happens.

ongbok:Felgraf: ongbok: WhoopAssWayne: Putin will do what he wants. He baited, then humiliated Obama during the Syrian crisis. Obama was baited into going all in - only to find out he had no international support whatsoever. The rest of the world, led by Putin, just laughed their ass off. An embarrassment for Obama, humiliating for our position in the world. Obama will sit this one out.

That is an interesting alternate reality you live in.

While I don't think we were humiliated by Syria, (and I *DO* think we should sorta sit this out militarily, our best weapon here is economically), I will say I *WAS* farking pissed at the international community during that bullshiat.

Instead of going alone, for once, America goes "Holy crap, they are using chemical weapons on civilians. This is horrendous and cannot be allowed. We should do something."

rohar:Yeah, about that. Ukraine is second only to the US in production of amazingly accurate anti aircraft systems. Hell, even Russia buys them. The Chechens, not so much.

I see. Passing out sophisticated anti-aircraft weaponry from Kiev's infinite stockpile of such weapons to random Ukrainians, in order to fight some sort of guerrilla war against conventional Russian forces, makes total sense now.

HotWingAgenda:RT is run by the Kremlin, so I'll wait for independent confirmation on this.

Hahah!... "independent"...

The worldwide media is divided into two sides about this, and there almost no middle ground. Each side only reports part of the facts. Stick to your "independent" sources if you want, but there's a lot of stuff that they're refusing to report on, just like the pro-Russian half have their own blind spots.

ransack.:RogermcAllen: FTA:"I, Berezovsky Denis, swear allegiance to the Crimean people and pledge to protect it, as required by the [army] regulations. I swear to take orders of Crimea and Sevastopol's Supreme Commander,"

I'm glad the US army doesn't have you swear allegiance to your hometown. All of the gang bangers and poors would defect and declare the sovereignty of Detroit.

Herpyjerpy racialderp

I'll take the herpy derp, but not the racial derp. This guy defected because his hometown was under a perceived threat and he feels compelled to protect it by the [army] regulations of the Ukraine. It is fairly well known (I am lazy, so I'll pretend like wiki counts as a real citation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gang_presence_in_the_United_States_milit a ry ) that there is a strong gang presence in the United States military. If these gang members were to swear allegiance to their homeland of Detroit, SoCal, or any other place that gang members live instead of the US Army, then we could potentially face a situation where Detroit gang members declared sovereignty or the Sureño could decide to take SoCal back to Mexico. We could also imagine a situation where Tea Baggers declare the rule of Obama void, swear allegiance to the South, and declare themselves a sovereign nation. Since the US is a giant tossed salad, we can everyone in on the action. Chicago would become part of Poland, Minnesota would be annexed by Sweeden, Miami would go to Cuba, and we would gladly give Wisconsin back to the Germans.

Cagey B:TheShavingofOccam123: If Ukraine is smart, they'll give every citizen a sniper rifle and tell them to start plinking away. If helicopter gunships come in, they'll hand out hand-held anti-aircraft missile launchers to every citizen. What Ukraine doesn't want to do is try to fight the Russians with conventional weapons. Just wear them down. Oh and IEDs.

Well, that's certainly worked out well for the Chechens.

You mean the White Tights? The Olympics just ended so the "biatch-cuckoos" will be in fine form for shooting Russian officers.

/40 years of rumors about female snipers blasting away at Soviets and Russians/apparently, we later figured out that jihadists were in country during the break up of Yugoslavia, chopping off heads and in other ways taking revenge against Muslim killers. But it took years to confirm that or at least admit it